Narrative:

I was on my way back from charleston, sc, in a C172. When I was about half way between charleston and columbia, my VOR's started to act up, but still seemed to be tracking correctly. Over a period of time, I realized that the VOR's were not working right. As I began to examine items, I noticed that my low battery light was on. After I recycled the master with no success, I began trying to contact columbia approach with no success. Shortly after all this, my radios and all electrical died. Being IFR, I squawked 7600 and since I was VMC at the time, I went for the first airport I could find. I found mcentire air force base. After turning around outside the airspace and not seeing any light signals, I crossed over midfield, and found the active runway. After waiting until the F16's held short of the active runway, I turned to final and landed. I then called flight service to inform them what had happened and that I was ok. Perhaps if I had been more aware, I would have noticed the alternator having gone off line and could have contacted columbia approach, while I still had battery power. Also, if someone had told me that the plane was having trouble with the alternator, I would not have flown the plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CESSNA 172 PLT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR DURING AN IFR XCOUNTRY FLT AND DIVERTED TO A MIL BASE AND LANDED WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT.

Narrative: I WAS ON MY WAY BACK FROM CHARLESTON, SC, IN A C172. WHEN I WAS ABOUT HALF WAY BTWN CHARLESTON AND COLUMBIA, MY VOR'S STARTED TO ACT UP, BUT STILL SEEMED TO BE TRACKING CORRECTLY. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, I REALIZED THAT THE VOR'S WERE NOT WORKING RIGHT. AS I BEGAN TO EXAMINE ITEMS, I NOTICED THAT MY LOW BATTERY LIGHT WAS ON. AFTER I RECYCLED THE MASTER WITH NO SUCCESS, I BEGAN TRYING TO CONTACT COLUMBIA APCH WITH NO SUCCESS. SHORTLY AFTER ALL THIS, MY RADIOS AND ALL ELECTRICAL DIED. BEING IFR, I SQUAWKED 7600 AND SINCE I WAS VMC AT THE TIME, I WENT FOR THE FIRST ARPT I COULD FIND. I FOUND MCENTIRE AIR FORCE BASE. AFTER TURNING AROUND OUTSIDE THE AIRSPACE AND NOT SEEING ANY LIGHT SIGNALS, I CROSSED OVER MIDFIELD, AND FOUND THE ACTIVE RWY. AFTER WAITING UNTIL THE F16'S HELD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE RWY, I TURNED TO FINAL AND LANDED. I THEN CALLED FLT SVC TO INFORM THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT I WAS OK. PERHAPS IF I HAD BEEN MORE AWARE, I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE ALTERNATOR HAVING GONE OFF LINE AND COULD HAVE CONTACTED COLUMBIA APCH, WHILE I STILL HAD BATTERY PWR. ALSO, IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME THAT THE PLANE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE ALTERNATOR, I WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THE PLANE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.